Atherigona (s. str.) varia ( Meigen, 1826 )

Deeming, John C., 2022, Some Afrotropical species of Atherigona Rondani (Diptera: Muscidae) revisited and a new species described, European Journal of Taxonomy 847 (1), pp. 121-144 : 134

Atherigona (s. str.) varia ( Meigen, 1826)

Fig. 3b–c

Described into the genus Anthomyia Meigen, 1803 ( Meigen 1826: 187) , this species is found around the Mediterranean and in Europe north to southern England, France and Hungary. It is further recorded from U.A.E., Oman and China and is the type species of Atherigona . On 28 Aug.1996, I found an isolated deadheart shoot of an unidentified grass in mixed forest at Vallombrosa in the mountains of eastern Tuscany. From this a female Atherigona emerged in the laboratory, which on structure generally and especially that of the eighth tergite agrees with A. varia . The grass shoot was distinctive in having the ligule bearing long hairs and was kindly examined by Dr G. Hutchinson, NMWC, who believed it might be Danthonia decumbens (L.). To the best of my knowledge this species has never been reared, so a brief description of the puparium is given and the larval mandibular sclerite figured.

Description

MEASUREMENTS. Length 3.5 mm and 1.1 mm in greatest width.

PUPARIUM. Yellowish brown, subshiny, with cephaloskeleton and posterior spiracles black, which latter are projecting to a distance equal to one half of their individual width and with their apical surfaces separated from one another by their individual width. Mandibular sclerite ( Fig. 3b ) robust, black, with no indication of a separate dorsal tooth-like projection. Anterior spiracle ( Fig. 3c ) a rosette of 7 digitations.

Distribution

Widespread in southern Europe, Middle East and China.

Figures

Fig. 3. a. Atherigona subnigripes (Karsch, 1888), holotype, ♀ (MNB), eighth tergite, dorsal. b–c. Atherigona varia (Meigen, 1826). b. Larval mandibular sclerite, lateral. c. Anterior spiracle of puparium.